User interface with proximity sensing

• US 9,588,628 B2
• Filed: 11/19/2015
• Issued: 03/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Global Touch Solutions LLC (Intellectual Discovery Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Global Touch Solutions LLC (Intellectual Discovery Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Bruwer, Frederick Johannes
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Thuy Vinh
• Application Number:
  US14/946,192
• Publication Number:
  US 20160077635A1
• Time in Patent Office: 474 Days
• Field of Search: 345/173, 345/156, 307/119, 307/125, 307/126, 307/139, 307/140, 307/141, 315/129, 315/136, 116/200, 116/205
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04101 2.5D-digitiser, i.e. digitiser detecting the X/Y position of the input means, finger or stylus, also when it does not touch, but is proximate to the digitiser's interaction surface and also measures the distance of the input means within a short range in the Z direction, possibly with a separate measurement setup
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 39/041 the light-intensity of the source H05B39/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 39/044 continuously H05B39/042 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 39/085 by touch control
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/16 by timing means
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/165 following a pre-assigned programmed sequence; Logic control [LC]
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/17 Operational modes, e.g. switching from manual to automatic mode or prohibiting specific operations
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/175 by remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/185 via power line carrier transmission
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/00 Energy efficient lighting technologies, e.g. halogen lamps or gas discharge lamps
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection

Abstract

An electronic circuit including a microchip for use as an intelligent user interface also comprises touch sensor technology that differentiates between proximity and physical contact events to activate and control various loads including light bulbs, products with radio frequency circuitry or electric motors. An input to the microchip is connected to a switch or sensing structure that does not form a serial link between the power source and the load. The electronic circuit controls various functions in response to user actions including automatic delayed shut-off functions, find-in-the-dark indicator and power source level/product state indications. The microchip allows the user to select specific functions based on the time duration of activation signals, the time duration between activation signals and the number of activation signals at the input. The microchip is further configured to interpret and react to the signals received from a user in a way that enhances ease of use of the product and to use the indicators to provide information to the user that is influenced by the signals received as well as the state of the product.

Claims

1. A user interface unit integrated with an electronic device, the user interface comprising:

a touch sensor switch; and

a microchip configured to activate different functions of the electronic device depending on a pattern of touch on the touch sensor switch,

wherein the microchip is configured to activate a first pre-programmed function of the electronic device in response to the pattern of touch on the touch sensor switch being determined to correspond to a first predetermined pattern, and to activate a second pre-programmed function of the electronic device in response to the pattern of touch on the touch sensor switch being determined to correspond to a second predetermined pattern.

2. The user interface unit of claim 1, wherein the microchip is further configured to completely turn off the electronic device in response to the pattern of touch on the touch sensor switch being determined to correspond to a third predetermined pattern.

3. The user interface unit of claim 1, wherein the pattern comprises a time duration of the touch on the touch sensor switch.

4. The user interface unit of claim 3, wherein the microchip is further configured to completely turn off the electronic device in response to one touch which lasts more than a predetermined amount of time duration.

5. The user interface unit of claim 1, wherein the first predetermined pattern comprises a single touch on the touch sensor switch and the second predetermined pattern comprises a plurality of successive touches on the touch sensor switch.

6. The user interface unit of claim 1, wherein the microchip is configured to provide indication information about the electronic device in response to touch by an object on the touch sensor switch or capacitance change by the object with respect to the touch sensor switch,

wherein the microchip is configured to deactivate the indication of the information about the electronic device after a predetermined time, and

wherein the microchip is configured to maintain an activation state of a load of the electronic device while the provision of the indication information about the electronic device is deactivated.

7. The user interface of claim 6, wherein the microchip is configured to open the touch sensor switch to deactivate the provision of the indication information about the electronic device.

8. The user interface unit of claim 6, wherein the microchip is configured to activate another load of the electronic device in response to touch on the touch sensor switch while the provision of the indication information about the electronic device is deactivated.

9. The user interface unit of claim 6, wherein the microchip controls a switch configured to provide power to the electronic device to maintain the activation state of the load of the electronic device by using capacitance charged during activation of the touch sensor switch.

10. The user interface of claim 9, wherein the capacitance change is generated by proximity of the object to the touch sensor switch.

11. The user interface of claim 1, wherein the microchip is configured to provide indication information about the electronic device in response to capacitance change by an object with respect to the touch sensor switch,

wherein the microchip is configured to deactivate the indication of the information about the electronic device after a predetermined time, and

wherein the microchip is configured to maintain an activation state of a load of the electronic device while the provision of the indication information about the electronic device is deactivated.

12. The user interface of claim 1, further comprising:

first and second user input switches different from the touch sensor switch,

wherein the microchip is configured to perform a third pre-programmed function in response to a singular user input to the first user input switch, to perform a fourth pre-programmed function in response to a singular user input to the second user input switch, and to perform a fifth pre-programmed function in response to combined user inputs to the first and second user input switches.

13. The user interface of claim 1, wherein the first predetermined pattern has a first predetermined time sequence of touch input and the second predetermined pattern has a second predetermined time sequence, different from the first predetermined time sequence, of touch input.

14. The user interface of claim 1, wherein the microchip is configured to control supply of power from a power source to a load of the electronic device.

15. A method of controlling a user interface unit integrated with an electronic device, the user interface unit comprising at least one touch sensor switch and a microchip configured to control functions of the electronic device in association with the touch sensor switch, the method comprising:

controlling the microchip to receive at least one touch on a touch sensor switch among the at least one touch sensor switch; and

activating different functions of the electronic device depending on a pattern of the at least one touch on the touch sensor switch,

wherein the activating different functions comprises activating a first pre-programmed function of the electronic device in response to the pattern of touch on the touch sensor switch being determined to correspond to a first predetermined pattern, and activating a second pre-programmed function of the electronic device in response to the pattern of touch on the touch sensor switch being determined to correspond to a second predetermined pattern.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising controlling the microchip to completely turn off the electronic device in response to the pattern of touch on the touch sensor switch being determined to correspond to a third predetermined pattern.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the pattern comprises a time duration of the touch on the touch sensor switch.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising controlling the microchip to completely turn off the electronic device in response to one touch which lasts more than a predetermined amount of time duration.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the first predetermined pattern comprises a single touch on the touch sensor switch and the second predetermined pattern comprises a plurality of successive touches on the touch sensor switch.

20. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

controlling the microchip to provide indication information about the electronic device in response to touch by an object on the touch sensor switch or capacitance change by the object with respect to the touch sensor switch;

controlling the microchip to deactivate the indication of the information about the electronic device after a predetermined time; and

controlling the microchip to maintain an activation state of a load of the electronic device while the providing the indication information about the electronic device is deactivated.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the deactivating the indication of the information about the electronic device is performed by controlling the microchip to open the touch sensor switch.

22. The method of claim 20, further comprising controlling the microchip to activate another load of the electronic device in response to touch on the touch sensor switch while the providing the indication information about the electronic device is deactivated.

23. The method of claim 20, further comprising controlling the microchip such that a switch included in the microchip is turned on to provide power to the electronic device to maintain the activation state of the load of the electronic device by using capacitance charged during activation of the touch sensor switch.

24. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

controlling the microchip to provide indication information about the electronic device in response to capacitance change by an object with respect to the touch sensor switch;

controlling the microchip to deactivate the indication of the information about the electronic device after a predetermined time; and

controlling the microchip to maintain an activation state of a load of the electronic device while the providing the indication information about the electronic device is deactivated.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the capacitance change is generated by proximity of the object to the touch sensor switch.

26. An electronic device comprising:

a power source;

a load; and

a user interface comprising;

a touch sensor switch, and

a microchip configured to control supply of power from the power source to the load, and to activate different functions of the electronic device depending on a pattern of touch on the touch sensor switch,

wherein the microchip is configured to activate a first pre-programmed function of the electronic device in response to the pattern of touch on the touch sensor switch being determined to correspond to a first predetermined pattern, and to activate a second pre-programmed function of the electronic device in response to the pattern of touch on the touch sensor switch being determined to correspond to a second predetermined pattern.

27. The electronic device of claim 26, wherein the user interface further comprises:

first and second user input switches different from the touch sensor switch,

wherein the microchip is configured to perform a third pre-programmed function in response to a singular user input to the first user input switch, to perform a fourth pre-programmed function in response to a singular user input to the second user input switch, and to perform a fifth pre-programmed function in response to combined user inputs to the first and second user input switches.

28. The electronic device of claim 26, wherein the first predetermined pattern has a first predetermined time sequence of touch input and the second predetermined pattern has a second predetermined time sequence, different from the first predetermined time sequence, of touch input.

29. The electronic device of claim 26, wherein the microchip is configured to activate a visible indicator in response to an input to the touch sensor switch.

30. The electronic device of claim 26, wherein the microchip is configured to activate a power saving function to lengthen a life span of the power source, in response to an input to the user input.